Belle was sitting next to the microscope, preparing to compare several samples she had taken from the latest two victims, when the lights started flickering. The air got somewhat colder, and she saw a dark blob moving around the room, gradually getting closer to the desk. Lifting her gaze, she followed with her eyes as the phenomenon was creeping towards her, leaning back in her chair. It was slow but deliberate, making its way through the furniture. Literally, through the furniture, leaving dusty dark spots, like decades old mould or rust, on all the metallic, plastic and glass parts. They will disappear in a couple of days, she knew it. Not like it mattered too much, as nobody else would see those beside her. Still, it was annoying to see them always just pass through objects, when they could've easily gotten over them, or just move around them. As the thing got to the desk, it seemed to be aimlessly floating above the prepared slides for a few seconds, then settling down next to a pair of samples. Belle squinted at the blob fidgeting on the desk, taking the samples under the microscope to see what it wanted to show her. It didn't take her a long time to understand why these were so important that it came to her. With a loud sigh, she leaned back in her chair, thinking about the findings.
"So that's what will expose your killer, huh" she murmured, biting her bottom lip.
She had a feeling that this might be important when she collected some samples from the bodies but never imagined that it would possibly resolve the case. The case the feds have been working on for over three years with a serial killer who left no traces behind even after the 14th murder. 14 murders, 6 states, and no traces so far. At least up till this point. The thought of this possibly being the final piece to the puzzle she just started working on made her dizzy. Was it possible? Was it actually possible that she, who just joined the team basically as a student found the evidence they needed? She had goosebumps all over from excitement and disbelief. She was still only doing her fellowship at the West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center, she just got lucky that she had a mentor who allowed her to take part in this investigation to learn from first-hand experience. How would the agents react when they found out that after their long years of work an apprentice forensic pathologist found the evidence neither them nor all the other dozens of people working on the case couldn't find for three years? Would her mentor even let them know it was actually her who found the evidence in the samples and not him? That didn't really matter to her or the phenomenon next to her. The most important thing was to catch the killer, and now the feds can get what they were missing for years. Picking up the phone in the lab, she dialled while eyeing the blob slowly fading away.
"Dr. Andrews?" she started, trying to sound confident. "I was just working on the samples we took last time and… Yes, I know it's really late but… Yes, I know that I'm not paid for the overtime… Dr. Andrews" she said with a firm voice, waiting for her mentor to finally acknowledge her tries. "I think you should come and see this with your own eyes."
